cura commissa est A Law there was made by Solon that all Assemblies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in Solone were unlawful that the highest authority did not cause to meet Among the Heathen Nebuchadnezzar makes a Law Darius a Decree the King of Nineveh sends forth a Proclamation for a Fast for a Religious service which certainly they had never done had it not been received that they were empowred And among the Romans there was no sooner an Emperour but he took upon him potestatem pontificiam In the Acts we read that the City of the Ephesians was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Mr. Selden teacheth us was an Office to take care of the whole worship and Temple of Diana Seld. not in Marmor Arundel Now this could not be done by any warrant from Scripture evident therefore it is that even by the light of nature seen it was that the supreme power is invested with anthority in Religious duties Care they ought to take that God be served as well as the people governed since they have been hitherto taken to be Custodes utriusque Tabulae 2. Thus it was while reason bare the sway But now let us look into the Scripture How is it written in the Law how read you There it was ordained that the King should have a book of the Law written by the Priests and the end was Deut. 17.18 19 20. that he might fear the Lord and keep it And in this Law there be many precepts that concern him as a man many as a Prince for as Austin Rex servit Deo aliter qua homo aliter qua Rex as a man by a holy Conversation as a Prince by making and executing holy constitutions Austin Ep. 50. As he is the Superiour he is there made the Guardian of Gods Law and the whole Law is committed to his charge By vertue of which Commission when the Kingdome and Priesthood were divided Moses the Civil Magistrate made use of his power over Aaron and reproved him for the golden Calf Joshua a Prince no Priest by the same authority circumcised the sonnes of Israel erected an Altar of stone caused the people to put away their strange gods and renewed the Covenant betwixt God and the people And what other Kings did you have heard before These Acts of these famous Kings performed in Ecclesiastical causes shews clearly what power Kings had under Moses Law And one thing more let me put you in mind of that when there was no King in Israel that was a supreme power for it was no more every man did that which was good in his own eyes and that good was extream bad as the story shews 3. Yea but it may be said that thus it was while the Judicials of Moses were in force but why so now Now the Superiours authority is confined to Civil Lawes Now the Kingdome is Christs and he must rule Indeed could we finde in the Gospel any restriction or rather revocation of what power had formerly belonged to Superiours this plea were considerable but since the rule is true that Evangelium non tollit precepta naturae legis sed perficit The Commission once granted to the Superiour by nature and the Moral Law must be good And be it that the Kingdome is Christs and all power in his hands yet this will be no impediment to what I contend for neither That Christ wants no Vicar on earth but as head of his Church doth govern it is a truth beyond exception But this is to be understood of the spiritual internal government not of that which is external because he must be serv'd with the body as well as with the Spirit in an outward forme of worship as well as an inward therefore he hath left superiours to look to that Their power extends not their accompt shall not be given for what is done within for they cannot see nor cannot judge what is done in that dark cell they have nothing to do with the secret affections of the heart with the sacred gifts of the Spirit with the stedfast trust of future things They are only to moderate and direct the outward actions of godlinesse and honesty and what may externally advance Christs Kingdome So that the question is not here of the internal and properly Spiritual but of the external government order and discipline of the Church which when the supreme power administers as it ought it sets up and no way pulls down the Kingdome of Christ These two are then well enough compatible that the Kingdome is Christs and yet the Superiour way make use of his power in Christs Kingdome A Prophesie there was that under the Gospel Kings should be nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers to the Church Isa 49.23 Nourishment then they must give that ordain'd for babes that for men the Word and Sacraments they cannot give no more then Uzziah could burn incense or Saul burn Sacrifice no nor yet ordain any to do it The sustenance then which Christians are to receive from them must be that of external discipline and government Those that gave such food were call'd nursing fathers those that denyed it tyrants and persecutors without the favour and execution of this duty Christian Religion had never been so highly advanc'd and therefore the Apostle ordains that Christians pray for those in authority that we may live a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse 1 Tim. 2. and honesty Godlinesse comprehends all duties of the first Table Honesty all duties of the second and where those who are in authority are careful both will be observed both shall be preserved because they know they have a charge of both Thus you see reason Law and Gospel have given a supremacy to those in power non solum in ijs quae pertinent ad humanam societatem verum etiam in ijs quae attinent ad religionem divinam I have enlarg'd my self on this subject beyond my intention least you should split upon that dangerous rock of Jesuitisme while out of a dislike of the British King you make him a violent head of the National Church for what you say of him is as true of all others and what is denyed of him is denyed of all others in that their claim and right is all alike and in case it be not just their violence and usurpation is all alike which to affirm is perfect Jesuitisme And wheresoever this doctrin is turn'd into practice it sets up regnum in regno and if it should be brought into this Common-wealth would reduce again what Henry the eight cast out though under another notion for every Eldership of a Combinational Church would be perfect Papacy absolute independent answerable to none to be guided by none in Church matters punishable by none but themselves to which if you will give a right name it is meere Popish power This is it which Superiours have wisely disclaimed and not admitted themselves like children to be
good look some pity some regard Why flie you from her I cannot conceive you think her so dishonest as some Separatists report or that you will fasten upon her the name of a Whore if you should I should grow angry and tell you that in her Constitutions she came nearest the Apostolique Church of any Church in the Christian world and this I openly professe to make good against any Separatist whatsoever Many ungracious sonnes I confesse she had and they brought an aspersion upon her and the vials of Gods wrath have been justly justly I proclaime poured upon her for their iniquities The constitution was good and sound the execution passing through some corrupt hands too often subject to reproof Let not her then who had declared her minde by rules and cautions against all abuses and taught what only she would have done be charg'd with her sonnes irregularities Set in Gods Name the Saddle upon the right horse and let not your Mother beare the whole blame 1. But if yet any will say she was blame-worthy then either it must be in manners doctrine or discipline The manners of her children might be unmannerly and unchristian and are all the sonnes of your Combination bene morati were all at Corinth so all at Thessolonica at Corinth there were incestuous factionists c. at Thessalonica disorderly walkers but I read not that the Apostle adviseth them for such enormous persons to separate to combine and confederate into a new Congregation Such were to be separated by the Authority of the Church and no man farther to separate from the Church for these then by dislike by disclaiming by disallowing and discountenancing of their evil deeds which was done by all good men in the English Church I never learned yet that corruption in good manners was a sufficient cause of separation from a Church Calvin disputes it strongly Lib. 4. Instit cap. 1. Sect. 13 c. will you hear Austin There are saith he bad fish in the net of the Lord Austin Ep. 48. Read Cyprian Epist 51. from which there must be a separation ever in heart and in manners but a corporal separation must be expected at the Sea-shore that is at the end of the world and the best fish must not tear and break the net because the bad are with them 2. To come to the second head Doctrine In this you confesse that the Church of England was not faulty in that you approve her doctrine Catholique as expounded by me in the Catechisme your Salvo will fall upon the third Yet suppose that in her doctrine there had been some errour yet this had not been sufficient to give countenance to a separation For it is not every light errour in disputable doctrine and points of curious speculation that can be a just case of separation in that admirable body of Christ which is the Church nor of one member from another I shall go one pin higher It is not an errour in a fundamental point and yet that amounts to an heresie by conviction that can justifie a departure Perkins in Ep. Jude At Corinth there were that denyed an article of faith the resurrection At Galatia they fouly were mistaken in that great and fundamental doctrine of justification and yet the Apostle dedicates his Epistles to them as to a Church as to Saints and perswades not to separation Christ gave his natural body to be rent and torn upon the Crosse that his mystical body might be One and he is no way partaker of divine Charity who is an enemy to this Unity Now what errours in doctrine may give just cause of separation in this body or the parts of it one from another were it never so easie to determine as I think it is most difficult I would not venture to set it down in particulars lest in these times of discord I might bethought to open a door for Schisme which surely I will never do except it be as a wise man said to let it out Among your Combinational Churches this seems to me to be one of the easiest tasks among whom there have happened so many unhappy Schisms Browns collected Church that went over to Middleburge Bayly pag. 14. fell to such jarring among themselves that they soon broke all to pieces the most turn'd Anabaptists At Amsterdam Ainsworth and Johnson could not agree page 15. which rent the Brownist Church into three fearful Schisms page 16. Ainsworth excommunicating Johnson and Johnson Ainsworth and all his followers and that for trifles Mr. Smith not agreeing with his Church at Amsterdam gâ—â— him to Ley in Holland and accused his Church of Idolatry and Anti-Christianisme of Idolatry for looking on their Bibles in time of preaching and their Psalters in time of singing Of Anti-Christianisme because in their Presbytery they joyn'd to Pastours other two Officers Doctors and Ruling Elders At Leyden Mr. Robinsons small company by divisions was well neer brought to nought pag. 54. pag. 57. pag. 61. pag. 75. pag. 76. pag. 77. pag. 79. Mr. Cotton patronized it in New England but fell into grievous errours and heresies as did the Independents of New England At Roterdam Mr. Peters erected his Church was the Pastour but he was either quickly weary of them or they of him and then Mr. Ward and Mr. Bridge succeeded at what time Mr. Simson came thither who divided the Church upon a trifle and Mr. Simsons separation burst out again to another subdivision and the Schisme grew irreconcilable At Arnhem in the Church the spirit of errour did predominate and protruded most abominable errours I have given you a taste onely of these things that you may see what sober and grave men will be very loth to do that is make a rent into the Church your hot and fiery spirits have done even for slight causes almost in all your Collected Churches It would be well considered what Doctrine that must be for which a man is bound to separate from a Church before he makes a rent 3. And now there is nothing left but discipline that may be a sufficient cause of separation And this hath divided you among your selves as well as divided you from us For the power of the Keys radically and originally you place in the Congregation without any subjection to any superiour and by this you make the Church remedilesse to suppresse any disorder or heresie in any other Congregation Bayly pag. 109. 110 111. because there is no superiour over them but themselves who can have authority to restrain them which is the cause of many Sects among us at this day In the Congregation you say the power is they may elect ordaine depose excommunicate Officers to judge and determine without any appeal But upon the passage and setling of the power you differ for Johnson would give all these acts of power to the Eldership but Ainsworth would reserve it in the Congregation adhuc sub judice lis est though as
and from hence it was borrowed and brought into the Church that the chief of the Capitulum should be called Decan which I think is Arch-Presbyter 3. I come now to your other two dislik'd Appellations Chancellours and Surrogates That the Bishop was at first the chief Judge in his Church I have before proved and then no dought he might appoint his subordinate Officials This being a confessed rule in the Law that when any cause is committed to any man he is also conceived to receive full authority in all matters belonging to that cause When the Emperours became Christian they judged it equal and pious to reserve some causes to be tried in the Christian Court in which they constituted the Bishop to be the Judge These causes were properly called Ecclesiastical such as were Blasphemy Apostacy Heresies Schismes Orders Admissions institution of Clerks Cooks Reports fol. 8. Rites of Matrimony Probates of Wills Divorces and such like To give audience to these the Bishop otherwise imployed could not alway be present and yet there was no reason that for his absence justice should not take its course And in some of these had he been present great skill in Civil Lawes is requisite that they be ended aright This gave occasion to the Bishop to appoint his Chancellour and Surrogate A Chancellour who had his name à Cancellis within which he was to sit a man brought up in the Civil Lawes and therefore fit to decide such causes that did depend upon those Lawes who being at first a meere Lay-man and therefore having no power of Exommunication therefore the Bishop thought fit to adjoyne a Surrogate to him that in case that high censure were to be passed this man being in Orders and therefore invested with power actu primo and by Commission with the Bishops power actu secundo sub Episcopo rogatus being demanded and an Officer under the Bishop Actu primo might pronounce the Sentence This was the original of their names and power Now prudential necessity first instituted them and prudence where Episcopal power is of force continues them If a Superiour shall be pleased to revoke some of these causes which were by him made of Ecclesiastical cognizance and cause the litigants to take their trial at Common or Civil Law Vide the book of Order of Excommunication in Scotl. Hist of Scot Amon 2. pag. 46. then in the Church I confesse there will be no use of the Chancellour And if the rest shall be tried by the Bishop and his Presbytery as they were at first neither will there need much a Surrogate But now if that rule of the Presbytery should prove to be true who do challenge cognisance of all causes whatsoever which are sins directly or by reduction then they have power if not to nullifie yet to give liberty to play all Courts and Judicatories besides their own and must bring in thither Sollicitours Atturneys Counsellours Procters c. which will be as un-Scripture-like names as Chancellours and Surrogates Cinod de off Eccl. Joannes Epis Citri in respon ad cabasil Naz. Testam 4. The fourth Appellation that offends you is the Arch-Deacon who was a very ancient officer in the Church and of great esteeme in the Greek Church Neither was he chosen to that place by the Patriarch but came to it by seniority the name then gave him no power but onely this prerogative to be chief of the Deacons of the Church as if you would say of the eldest standing In the Church of England he was more than a Deacon for he was a Presbyter and his office was to be present at all ordinations to enquire into the life the manners the abilities and sufficiency of him who was to be ordained and either to reject him if he saw occasion or to present him to the Bishop to be ordained to induct into any Benefice that man who was instituted by the Bishop to have the care of the houses of God were kept decent and in good repair lastly to take account of all who had to do with the poors money And this last was it which gave him the name of the chief Deacon Ambr. lib. 1. de off c. 41. Prudentius for when the charity of the Church was great and ample gifts were bestowed to the relief of the poorer Christians the Church stock was ample as appears by Lawrence the Martyr who was Deacon to Sixtus Bishop of Rome martyred under Valerian This being committed to the Deacons care that no fraud might be committed as it hapned too oft in money-matters the Church thought fit to set one of the Deacons over the rest who might call them to account as ours were to do the Church-wardens and Overseers of the poor to whom they gave the name of the Arch-Deacon Now speak impartially what harme was in all this What that may offend you Deacon cannot and Arch should not since you know it signifies no more but chief or prime as in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patriarch And that you may carry some affection or at least not a loathing to it I pray call to memory that a worthy Martyr of our Church John Philpot adjudged to the fire and burnt in Queen Maryes dayes Fox Martyrol An. 1553. primo Mariae resigned up his soul in the flames being then Arch-Deacon of Winchester And that with him Master Cheiny and Master Elmour that refused to subscribe to the doctrine of Transubstantiation in the Convocation-house were both Arch-Deacons 5. But now I return back again to that Appellation Lord-Bishop at which so many have stumbled and been scandalized that others before you have done it I have reason to attribute to envie an evil eye but in you I shal onely impute it to inconsideration Gen. 24. 1 Kings 18. 2 Kings 2. 2 Kings 4. 2 Kings 8. For you are mighty in the Scriptures and therefore might have known that the Hebrew Adoni or the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Latine Dominus which in the Spanish is Don in the French Sciur in English Sir is onely a name of civility courtesie respect reverence By this Rebecca calls Abrahams servant Drink my Lord. By this Obadiah the Prophet Art thou my Lord Elijah By this the children of the Prophets the inhabitants of Hiericho the Sunamite and Hazael the Prophet Elisha By this Mary the Gardner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord or Sir if thou have taken him hence with this civil respect the Greeks accost Philip John 20.15 John 12.21 1 Pet. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sir we would see Jesus In all which places the word imports onely a courteous and respectful compellation And St. Peter commends the woman that shall with this name endear her husband proposing the example of Sarah that obeyed Abraham and call'd him Lord. To a Bishop double honour respect reverence is due for he is comprised under the name of father in the Commandment and whom we